He shoves his hands in his pockets, his usual mischievous smile gone.
“You know, I don’t know if I ever told you this or not, but when I was about eight years old, my dad had me around the throat after a baseball game,” he says.
My heart drops.Why are you telling me? And why are you telling me this now?
“He was shaking the shit out of me for missing a ball at shortstop,” Brooks says, somber. “And your dad came around the concession stand and saw us. In no uncertain terms, he told my dad that if he ever saw him touch me again, he’d break every one of his fingers so that he’d never be able to grab anything again.” He looks at the ground, as if he’s replaying the memory, before lifting his gaze to mine. “I was just sitting in there with Audrey, thinking about our upcoming wedding. And I got to thinking about how beautiful she’ll be when she walks down the aisle with her dad.” He licks his lips. “And then I realized that you’d be walking yourself down the aisle today.”
My bottom lip trembles.
I know Brooks, but we aren’t exactly great friends. And maybe he’s not doing this for me, but he’s doing it for Hartley, knowing Hartley would want that for me. Either way, he didn’t have to get up and leave his fiancée and come back here to offer something so kind to me.
But he did. And I don’t think I’ll ever be able to tell him how much his kindness means to me.
“If you’ve got this by yourself, I’ll go back to my seat,” he says. “But if you don’t want to walk alone, I’d love to walk with you. I kinda feel like I owe your dad a favor, and handing you off to the best man that I’ve ever known seems like a good way to repay him.” His lips twist. “I’d also like to see the look on Hart’s face, but that’s me being petty.”
I laugh through my tears as my heart swells, doubling in size. “I’d really, really appreciate you walking with me, Brooks,” I whisper, struggling to keep my emotions at bay. If Brooks has me ready to cry, I’m probably screwed.
He stands tall beside me, offering me his elbow. I slide my arm through it and take a long, deep breath.
“For the record,” he says, “I do want to be invited to every holiday and cookout, no matter what Hartley tells you.”
My cheeks ache from smiling. “Noted.”
The bridal chorus begins to play, and Jessica motions for us to begin our walk.
“Here we go,” Brooks whispers as we step into the foyer.
“Oh, my gosh,” I gasp as the guests come into view. They rise from their seats in the packed room. “What is happening here?”
Brooks smiles down at me. “Everyone’s happy for you guys.”
We move slowly down the aisle, passing Lolly’s friends, the mayor and his wife, and Lisa from Piper’s Pizza. Patsy gives us a thumbs-up.
But it’s the man at the end of the aisle—the one wearing a suit and black tie, and a smile that lights up the room—that makes me wobble.
Hartley’s eyes widen as we grow closer. His weight shifts from one foot to another, and he rearranges his hands in front of him as if he’s not sure what to do with them and is trying to keep himself from reaching for me. And for a moment, I allow myself to pretend that I’m in a vacuum and that this is real.
That happy endings are a thing.
“Oh, Mira,” Lolly says, beaming with pride.
We come to a stop in front of my fiancé. Brooks unwinds my arm from his and then takes my hand and places it into Hartley’s. Then he pulls him into a one-armed hug.
“How did I know you’d weasel your way into this somehow?” Hartley chuckles.
“What can I say?” Brooks whispers back. “I love attention.”
Our guests take their seats as Pastor Reed appears between Hartley and me.
“We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Hartley Adler and Mira St. James,” he says. “Marriage is a sacred covenant built on love, trust, patience, and grace, a promise made in front of your friends, family, and our God.”
Hartley takes my hands in his, staring into my eyes. There are no second-guesses reflected in his beautiful browns—no anxiety or regrets. He rubs the tops of my hands with his thumbs and smiles. “You’re so beautiful,” he mouths.
“Before we continue, if anyone here has just cause as to why these two should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace,” Pastor Reed says.
“I swear, if anyone objects after we’ve waited this long …” a voice says from the back of the room, eliciting a roar of laughter from everyone present.
The pastor chuckles. “Do you, Hartley, take Mira to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, for as long as you both shall live?”
